GP row has diagnosis but no sign of a cure

That the nation is facing something of a GP recruitment crisis will come as little or no surprise to most people. The scale of the problem, as laid bare yesterday, however, is sure to raise a few eyebrows.

More than one fifth of Tayside surgeries do not have enough GPs – an unenviable record which at least puts it well ahead of Fife, where more than a third of surgeries find themselves in that worrying position.

No sooner had the statistics dropped than the SNP Government faced an onslaught of rather predictable but nevertheless well merited criticism from opposition politicians.

Miles Briggs of the Tories described the situation as “extremely bleak”. To be fair, it is hard to conclude otherwise.

Meanwhile, one of the reasons for the shortage – as identified by a former Dundee GP – lies in the fact doctors south of the border can expect much higher levels of pay.

Unsurprisingly, plenty of reasons for the current malaise were identified and were duly subjected to much debate without, sadly, ever approaching any kind of a workable solution.

In short, we have a diagnosis but no cure.

Finding one will take a concerted effort by all involved – and certainly more than the exchange of attempts to score petty political points.